#but this is what goes more in line with his character

[elodieunderglass]

Rotating the Horse Boys in my brain and thought: What if they swapped places? IE: Charlie stuck around to do Horse Stuff and Killie fucked off to Be Happy? What would that look like, given that they'd still be who they are?

(The Horse Boys) Oh my GOD your MIND?!

hi. i don't know. how to feel about this.

press keep reading to continue

Charlie, who is personally committed to aging like milk as a carelessly freckly ginger in his own universe, is... a very different-looking person if he remains in the Horse Universe! Spending more time outside has made him all sunbleached and sundamaged, and this AU has put different lines on his face; not all mean, but different.

A core part of Charlie's character is that he isn't naturally an especially nice person; he makes the conscious choice to be kind, but he's a lot colder and more ruthless than Killie, so it's a choice he has to make CONSTANTLY, and would quite like a gold star for, actually! (Does anyone ever NOTICE the MASSIVE EFFORTS that Charlie makes to be a good, kind, patient person?? NO?? DO YOU NOT REALISE IT IS ALL AN ACT? ARGH.)

This Charlie doesn't worry about that at all. This Charlie is a snide, funny, fast-moving little fuck with a clearer physical resemblance to his father Bill, but an equally clear strain of no-fucks-given political-scheming catty little face from his mother Helena. He remains based at the family training yard in County Meath, being an absolute menace, but a massive change from Killie's circumstances is that Charlie domineers the whole family. Some things remain fixed (Bill is still disabled in a riding accident; Ciara still gets divorced) but in general Charlie has shoved, manoeuvred, manipulated and generally girlbossed his parents, siblings, and a significant portion of the extended family under his thumb, despite not being half the jockey Killie was. Then I realised that Charlie would have realised that too, clawed his way through vet school, instantly annexed Colm for his veterinary assistant/lackey, swung round to claim Uncle Bren and Aunty Blaw's loyalty, got the grandfather on side, and just completely cut Bill's legs from under him, leveraging Killie's exile and his status as The Family Vet in a total takeover bid to become head of the family and chief exec of most of the businesses. Why? Is he planning to take over the training yard? Nope! he just wanted to run all of their lives. He rides, but it's all local stuff - point-to-point and local chases - and probably, lacking Killie's sensitivity, goes hunting💀 Remains unmarried and unattached, knows perfectly well that he's bi, but manages to keep his assignations of all genders neatly hidden; all hookups in Dublin one county over; no kids, didn't even date Pippa. Pent-up, bitter, unhappy, mean: but scattering his energy so successfully in controlling 17 uncontrollable people and 2 stressful careers - essentially Patriarching the Dynasty, despite resolutely not fathering another generation for it - that he manages not to notice for DAYS at a time. Half the reason why Charlie made a calculated multidimensional bid for power was that he reckoned if he did ever get a different-gender partner, he'd have the social capital to carry it off, and everyone will have to deal, because this is Charlie's nation now. (The other half is that he's holding space for Killie to come home, ditto.)

But without his sincerity and warmth and joyful heart, he doesn't seem to be attracting the kind of people that Charlie's still-essential Charlieness would want to settle down with... and he remains enough of himself to realise that, if only subconsciously. So his birth family's all better off around him... at the expense of him not having his own spouses and kids :( oh that's so sad. Charlie loves his kids.

i don't know who this twink is omg

I can see Charlie so clearly but this guy... I don't know him. I mean, Killie's a Sunscreen User, but still. If you remove all the jock from Killie, what remains is almost unrecognisable?? This is Cillian Worthington; he's a very different animal, and I don't know that he's happy, and this is a STRANGER. Unsettling.

When Charlie went into Exile in his home universe, he made some fairly brilliant strategic decisions to avoid the usual fates of homeless queer kids, as well as the private investigators his family hired to get him back. He bolted for England and the evil posh Worthington family, alienated by their rotten daughter Helena for being rancid; they're awful and impossible to live with, but Charlie just wanted a landing pad. Consolidating his plans, buying breathing space, and changing his name, Charlie then springboarded into uni, supporting himself with bartending and music. If Killie did the same... the Worthingtons would welcome him out of spite for Helena, and then more genuinely. But he wouldn't have quite the same savviness and independence, and would find them soul-crushing. Regardless, once he adopted their name, they'd put him in uni and pay all his bills, and he would do weirdly well there - as long as he "kept his nose clean." With fewer temptations to bite, Killie would dutifully keep his nose clean indeed. From there - god! He could actually be an academic. Charlie didn't manage it but jesus CHRIST. Killie probably could.

Dr Cillian Worthington, pretending he isn't constantly fighting his demons, not setting foot in the countryside or looking at animals because it will remind him of his Horselessness. He wouldn't be able to deal with the Horselessness, and he would not be able to get enough capital to get any horses at all, and if he can't have them there's no point breaking his heart wanting them. A clean break is better. Put all horsiness into a box and punt it into the sun.

There would be a scene where Killie just snapped and stole a horse and it ALL CAME BACK OUT.

And another scene where they were reunited, and Killie could break Charlie down completely by just saying calmly, "You used to love music."

[mixingandmelting]

There’s a vid that I can’t find anymore! But it was a streamer playing Stardew Valley, and she was trying to get her character pregnant. When the morning came in the game, and it didn’t happen again, she frustratingly yells/complains, “WHY AM I STILL NOT PREGNANT YEEET?” After that, her BF slowly pops his head around the corner, looking at her.

So, I was wondering how the batboys would react to hearing their s/o randomly yell that while in another room or maybe next to them while they play their game? 😂

Dick:

….That’s one way to welcome him home. 

He just got back from his day job (being a gymnastics instructor this time) and in the middle of taking off his shoes, he hears you scream that particular line. And he’s now more confused than ever who exactly you were directing it to: yourself, him, or that one game you’ve been playing since a month ago. 

At least Haley’s not worried about it, happily wagging her tail and running in circles in front of her dad. 

He presses a finger on his lips, ruffling her head when she instantly goes quiet for him before picking her up and tip-toeing to your room.

“Is it so hard to get me pregnant?! Or is it too much to ask that I give birth to kids?!” 

His eyes grow wider at every step he takes, your rant becoming more absurd the closer he gets to your room. You want to have kids? Who’s kid? His? One of the characters in the game? 

By the time he reaches the door frame, he stiffens, hearing you slam your headsets down and stomping towards the door. 

“Uh, I’m back?” It didn’t make the situation better, awkwardly smiling there while waving a hand in front of the doorway. 

“…You-How much did you hear?” 

He doesn’t answer, the silence being a telltale on its own. 

“…I was just trying to further romance my in-game character. That’s all.” Your voice comes out quiet and muffled, your hands covering your face. 

“Well, I was going to say all you had to do was tell me and we could’ve gotten to it right away-” He dodges the oversized body pillow you swing at him. 

Placing Haley down, he goes over to you and hugs you from behind before picking and twirling you up in the air. You squeal, patting his arm with a hand while your flustered mind struggles who to tell off: him or Haley, who nips at your pants. He doesn’t let you live down on it for the rest of the week though, pumping his eyebrows up whenever he passes by and sees you playing the game. 

Jason:

Slowly, he walks back and takes a peep at you from the doorway. His eyes wide with every question a man could possibly have. 

He was simply passing by, planning to get to the one book he’s been meaning to read at the couch since you like having your gaming time. Even getting a good cup of coffee ready and carrying a pillow snug under his arm. 

Then you screamed that line. 

“I did not just spend this much time with you only for you to do this to me! We’re even married!” 

He takes a second to think before silently nodding his head in agreement, recalling everything you told him regarding your efforts to romance one of the characters including how you had to specifically buy some pendant to propose. And only after you give them a bouquet and reach ten hearts. 

“Why else did you think I chose you over Sebastian?! Did you think I was going to choose based on looks?!” 

Oh, there’s more tea? 

The next handful of minutes flies by, his book forgotten. He’s pretty sure no one could blame for it either when the gossip was just too good to pass. Then an idea struck. 

With expertise, he sneaks into your room and slowly makes his make towards you. 

“Seriously, he’s such a jerk.” 

“Oh most definitely.”

“Even when I forgave him for cheating on me.”

“Tell me about it.” 

“Like, come on just why won’t he ask- What the fuck?! Jason?!” 

He raises an eyebrow, his trademarked, shit-eating smirk ever so present.

“If you really wanted one that badly, you could’ve just asked.” 

He cackles, letting himself get tackled onto the mattress that happens to be behind you/ the one he’s currently sitting on. His arms automatically wrap themselves around you, using the magic of smothering you in his embrace to calm you down as he knows you know he’s doing you a favor in covering your expression up. Glad to know it works, you snuggling into his shirt with flushed ears. 

Tim:

He chokes on his water, hacking and coughing up a storm. The two of you are currently hanging out, playing the same game. And it was quiet too, with the occasional mumbling of profanities whenever the characters decided to give attitude towards either you or him. Until you scream why you weren’t getting pregnant. 

“W-what?” It takes him some time to finally ask the question, his throat sore and needing time to recover. 

“Yes! Pregnant!” You make hand motions to your screen, backing away as he tries to lean and look over. “I did everything that everyone online said! Upgrade the farmhouse, add the nursery, go to bed BEFORE 10 PM-! What am I doing wrong?!”

“It IS a 5% chance; it might take a while.”  He rubs circles on back in attempts to console you. Too bad it fails, you rolling your eyes and groaning.

“Yeah, but I'm at my final straw here. Especially when I’ve been playing for two years…”

…Is it really that hard to get kids in the game? 

He takes a quick glance at his screen where his character is happily raising children with their respective spouse. And he hasn’t been playing for a year.

“… Tim?” Crap. He was quiet for too long. 

He jumps into action, trying to change the scene but he’s too late. You gasp. Your eyes wide in betrayal 

“You-How-“ Oh no. It’s never a good sign when you fumble over your words. “It took you how long again for you to ask me out? But you already have kids in the game???” 

“Well, I was nervous-“ 

“More like abs-er-gutless.”  

…Excuse you? Sure, he’s not a Greek God like Dick or built like a refrigerator like Jason but he knows he has pretty good abs and takes full offense to that. 

So, without a word, he gets up and hauls you over his shoulder.

“Tim, what are you doing???” 

“Taking you with me to prove a point.”

Needless to say, he’s successful in changing your mind that night as well as receiving a heartfelt apology for creating a word to describe his apparent “lack of muscles”. 

Duke:

He’s so glad the two of you aren’t out in public. The scene it would’ve caused especially with how loud your voice was- he can feel himself getting the goosebumps. The two of you were hanging out at your place with him having stepped out to use the restroom while you told him you’d wait. 

Now he's facing a dilemma as he awkwardly stands at the entrance way to the living room. The rational side of him wants to shake you, ask if you’re aware you’re still in high school. The protective boyfriend side of him wants to know who you were asking and for what reason. 

The worst part is that there’s no real, good way to find out unless he leans his head out from behind the wall. And him getting caught red-handed for snooping on you is the last thing he needs to happen right now. 

“How is it that I’m not pregnant yet?!”  Please, he’s on his knees. Stop saying that and instead, drop the context. “A week! It’s been one whole week and I’m still without kids!”

Screw it. 

Slowly he moves his head forward. Then blinks.

There, with your back towards him, he can see the screen of your laptop filled with colors, all retro, 8-bit themed. His eyes make out a character that you keep moving, seemingly walking around in an area filled with green, red, different shades of browns. 

…Oh. You’re playing Stardew Valley. 

Sliding back behind the wall, he sighs in relief. Finally, he can rest and be assured it’s not between yourself and him or with some other guy he didn’t know about. You’re yelling crazy things like usual whenever you play that game. That’s all. 

“Duke? What are you doing there?”

“What? Oh, uh, nothing. Just coming back from using the restroom, that’s all.” If not for the furious blush on your cheeks, he would’ve really thought you were unamused. 

“...I’m going to stick my head into the kitchen sink for a second, don’t follow me.”

The next hour is spent with him convincing you that it’s fine and there’s nothing to feel embarrassed about. Then another once he admits after you give him a look that it’s funny and he probably won’t forget about it. 

Damian:

Really? Out of all things you’re going to yell, you’re yelling that? His eyes are flat as cement, not even a single drop of him laughing at the sight. 

First off, why in the world would you be this frustrated? It’s a just game that’s meant to waste time, nothing worth all the effort and the attention. Second, why are you so desperate to have a child? With a fictional character nonetheless? Is he not your significant other? Is that character more interesting than him that you decide to spend hours interacting with them and not him?

“It’s probably because you lack the skills to get the game to move as you please.” He doesn’t appreciate the snort you let out in response. 

“Sure and you do when you can’t even get to reaching eight hearts.”

Say what now? 

“Of course I can! I just haven’t gotten that far since I’m busy with keeping a city safe!” 

“Excuses, excuses. That’s what they all say.”

“Excuses???”

The two of you glare at each other, huff, and turn away. Only for you ruffle your hair after another failed attempt. 

He slumps into his chair, drilling holes to your side visage. He can’t understand. Was that game really more important to you than him?  But he doesn’t like how it’s making you this fed up either. A moment of compilation later and watching your face scrunch up, he gives in.

“Here, let me try-”

“Okay, that does it!” His back straightens when you slam your hands onto the desk. “We’re getting ice cream, go on a walk, and come back to this stupid game!”

“...Why again?”

“Because I’m frustrated and I’m not going without you!” Blankly he blinks, watching you stomp out of the room. Well then. 

Despite snorting, a tiny smile forms on his lips as he jumps off his chair and follows right behind you. About time you make his visit worthwhile, you should’ve proposed this from the start. He does end up sharing your pain once the two of you come back, resulting in failure every time he tries and causing him to hate the game even more. 

[noxiatoxia]

Something Important About Hinata...

The way Hinata speaks in the Japanese version of SDR2 is a big deal for his character, and what contrasts him so well from Naegi Makoto.

Before we jump into that, I must briefly explain how Naegi talks, as it is integral for the comparison.

Naegi is very mild-mannered. His self-pronoun of choice is ボク (Boku) in Katakana. While the only self-pronoun in English is I/me/my, Japanese has many, all written in different ways, and these pronouns tell you a great deal about the character's personality.

In this case, what does this say about Naegi?

Naegi using Boku as opposed to Ore - another male pronoun - shows he's very mild-mannered. Boku is more polite than Ore is, and makes him appear more soft, polite, and less boyish than a number of his other male classmates who do use Ore.

Boku can be written in Hiragana ぼく, Katakana ボク, and Kanji 僕. So why Katakana for Naegi? What does it show?

It can show many things, but in Naegi's case, it emphasizes that he, above all else, is a teenager. Yes, all his classmates (minus Hagakure) are, but when I say it emphasizes this, I mean it shows he embodies what a teenager is. He's young, but he's not a kid. He's a little awkward; he's not fully mature in how he reacts to the world yet. He's hip and trendy, and maybe a little moody. Combine this with Boku, and you are told all you need about Naegi out the gate as soon as he says "My (ボク Boku) name is Naegi Makoto": he is a mild-mannered growing boy, probably up to date on the latest trends, probably a little awkward and soft-spoken, nicer than most males his age, and maybe even a bit naive.

These are all things that we learn to be true as the game goes on, but just by his pronoun alone, we can tell these things about Naegi.

Furthermore, there are different styles of speech, such as what particles you use. Some are more masculine or feminine, some speech styles are more rude. In Naegi's case, he uses gender-neutral particles, once again hinting at his mild nature.

So, what about Hinata?

Hinata is the opposite. We can tell from the get-go based on his self-pronoun.

He uses 俺 (Ore) in Kanji.

As said, Ore is more rude and man-ish than Boku. Right out the gate, the audience knows Hinata is going to be more rude, boyish, and assertive than Naegi.

His particle choice, compared to Naegi, also is mostly masculine, and he employs ruder speech options. Again, this paints Hinata as someone much more outspoken, forceful, and meaner.

This was no accident. In fact, it was a core part of his character, stated in the SDR2 art book:

"No, that's wrong!"* The boldness of this catchphrase is truly what makes Hinata who he is. Each time he says it in a Class Trial, it feel more self-assured than the last. In the last killing game at Hope's Peak Academy, the protagonist was a well-behaved, un-masculine person, which caused some issues, and he was even criticized at a point for being "too arrogant for Naegi-kun". Kind men are fine and all, but for a protagonist, I want someone a little more fired-up!

*In English, both Hinata and Naegi's phrases are translated the same. However, Naegi says sore wa chigau yo, while Hinata says sore wa chigau zo. Yo is gender neutral, while zo is masculine and can sound ruder, hence this being the line that "Makes Hinata who he is".

But...why Kanji?

Using Kanji for a self-pronoun in a character signifies many things. In Hinata's case, it tells us he's intelligent, mature for his age, probably acts more grown-up and pragmatic than boys his age. It can also be a sign of being dignified, almost noble-esque. For example, Togami also uses 俺.

But...it's strange, right? Because while Hinata is smart and is more pragmatic, he is also pretty obviously still your average teen. In fact, it's something he laments: he's painfully normal.

So...should it not be オレ, Ore in Katakana?

After all, almost every teen boy protagonist in media uses オレ, or a form of it (like Goku, who uses オラ Ora, a "Southern" version of Ore, still in Katakana). Would it not make more sense for Hinata to then use オレ?

I actually don't think so.

Besides personality differences that could warrant the use of Kanji, I think the usage of Kanji is most purposeful as a subversion of expectation. Like I said, generally speaking, most teenage male protagonists uses オレ. Pick up any shounen, and the protag will likely be using オレ.

In my opinion, by using 俺, the same self-pronoun, just written in a different script, it imparts something very small but very noteworthy to the audience: something is off about this otherwise normal teenager.

Hinata talks about how he's painfully normal, but then, why not the painfully normal pronoun?

Out the gate it gives this off feeling. Ever so slightly, something is wrong with the guy that shows he's not as normal as he claims.

And then, Chapter 6 happens.

It's incredibly clever foreshadowing, all just by changing how the character says "I".

To add on...when Hinata underwent the Kamukura project, they truly ripped everything from Hinata, including how he speaks.

While Hinata uses 俺 Ore, Kamukura uses 僕 Boku in Kanji. I've already explained both Boku and Kanji script, so you can probably put them together. But in short, it shows Kamukura is far more mild, less assertive and less masculine. He is intelligent, regal, far above everyone else, but is polite.

More interesting is the way Kamukura speaks. He talks closer to Naegi, using gender-neutral particles instead of rude or masculine ones. However, he is even more polite than most characters, as he uses Keigo.

Keigo is "polite speech", and as it suggests, makes a character sound polite and formal. Characters like Tsumiki and Sonia use it.

In Kamukura's case, this makes him sound...like an academic paper. He is mild-mannered, he is polite, he is intelligent. The way he speaks gives the feeling of a reporter on the news, a scientific paper, an essay - someone who is there to relay information, not his feelings or opinions. Which is funny, seeing as he can't help but give his opinions in calling everything boring. I think that contrast shows, despite Hope's Peak's best efforts, Kamukura is still human.

It is still a far cry from Hinata, who's manner of speaking alone exuded so much personality, so much feeling, and a whole lot of self-expression.

Finally, I'll cap this post off with a fun fact: Kamukura probably was never going to have red eyes.

This is just a theory, but there is interesting pieces of evidence to support this.

In all versions of SDR2, early beta sprites are used for nearly every truth bullet. If a truth bullet is using a character sprite (such as a testimony truth bullet), it most likely is using an early version of the sprite by accident. This can be seen with Souda, Sonia, Nanami, Tsumiki, Komaeda, etc.

With this pattern in mind, here is the truth bullet with Awakened Hinata on it:

Beyond the fact he's missing the red eyes, you can tell it's a very early version as his shoulder and hair aren't as spiky as they should be.

They hadn't quite edited the sprite yet. But, I find the lack of red eyes interesting when compounded with a strange piece of merch I talked about here.

I won't repeat the details as you can check the post out if you'd like, but I will show the photos again.

Considering early beta versions of sprites are sometimes mistakenly used in Danganronpa merch (and other beta sprites were used in this merch line, such as Komaeda's), this makes me assume this, too, is a beta Kamukura sprite, and he was originally intended to have Hinata's eye color.

[cyucya]

Hi!!!! Love your AU, love Skylar-Chili, LOVE your shitty sonadow dads. Like genuinely this AU is so delicious and a breath of fresh air in the sense that its SUCH an unexplored niche of sonadow/sonadow fankids.

Your drawings and comics are super clean and professional looking! What do you use to draw them/your process when creating a comic or character?

(By this I mean what program, tablet, or brushes? that you use for your art, whatever you feel comfortable answering!)

Omggg! Thank you for the question and your kind words! I’m actually so excited to answer this!

I use an iPad Pro and draw in Procreate (nothing too fancy). Honestly, I mostly stick to just three basic brushes, lol. I have some purchased brush packs, but I barely ever use them :’>

Inka for sketching, Baskerville for line art and medium Nozzle for shading!

When creating the story and pages, I start with super quick and messy sketches to get the idea down before it escapes me. Right now, I have close to 40 sketched-out pages!

Here’s how the process usually goes:

But even here sketch looks much neater than usually…. 90% of the time it looks like this:

But it’s only for me to understand what’s going on so….. yeah! Anyway, thank you for the question again! I’m already super excited to show you more! :>

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Shutter 2

Warnings: non/dubcon, stalking, and other dark elements. My username actually says you never asked for any of this.

My warnings are not exhaustive but be aware this is a dark fic and may include potentially triggering topics. Please use your common sense when consuming content. I am not responsible for your decisions.

Characters: Peter Parker

This AU is called Watcher Anonymous and will include different series for different characters. This is our introduction to Peter and Pipsqueak.

Summary: a community class brings together all sorts.

As usual, I would appreciate any and all feedback. I’m happy to once more go on this adventure with all of you! Thank you in advance for your comments and for reblogging ❤️

She enters the coffee shop. Barely. As she passes through, her bag catches around the door handle and it jars back her small body.

She giggles as she untangles herself and looks around in embarrassment. There's a few laughs at her expense but she's amused too. She bows as if it's a great show before she spins to find him watching.

She waves as she nears, then pushes up her large-framed glasses. She stops by the table and bounces on her skinny legs, "hi, Mr. Parker!"

He smiles. "You know, you can call me Peter."

"I know but you're so smart and you teach me so much. Mr. Parker sounds right."

He shakes his head, "um, so, can I get you a coffee?"

"I don't drink it or I bounce off the walls, but er, they have a lavender lemonade. It sounds yummy."

"Sure, I can do that," He stands. She makes him feel tall. "Why don't you save the table?"

"Oh, you're so nice!" She flutters then makes herself sit. Her excitement is barely contained in her jittering legs and twiddling fingers.

She hugs her knapsack in her lap as she turns to face the table and bobs her head. He goes to join the line. He might try a lemonade too, but the mango sounds better than flowers. He waits his turn, glancing back momentarily, nervous as his head spins. He doesn't know what to say. Just talk about the camera, bozo.

His inner dialogue is starting to sound a lot like Bucky. That guys a trip. Always grumbling about something. No wonder he can't get a date. Well, who is he to talk?

He takes the lemonades with a smile. He spins and nearly drops the cups. There's someone at the table. A large man with his hand on the back of her chair. He can't even see her. Just her pink and purple sneakers.

He nears and clears his throat. The man is taller than Peter. Well, Peter isn't very tall himself. And he's buff. Well, Peter puts in his time at the gym, too.

"Excuse me," Peter puts the cups down, "lemonade." He slides the purple one to her. She doesn't react. "He bugging you?"

"We're talking, junior," the man snarls. "She's going to give me her number."

She looks at Peter. He frowns. The guy seems like a bully. Probably thinks she's an easy target. Well, she's not his.

"Dude, look at her. She's not interested. Besides, she's with me and we're having a conversation so you need to go," Peter steps closer.

"I'm not asking you--"

"Look, I'm being nice. Go away," Peter narrows his eyes.

"You gonna make me?" The guy puffs up.

"If I gotta," Peter doesn't flinch. A broken nose won't be such a high price to keep her safe.

"Whatever," the guy snorts, "not worth it. She's a fucking dweeb anyway. Just wanted to split her in half--"

Peter swings without thinking. One in the gut, the next across the jaw. The guy stumbles back and hits another customer. She squeaks in surprise.

"Shit," Peter shakes out his hands. "I'm sorry, I wasn't--"

"Yikes!" She jumps up, "Mr. Parker!" She points at the large man as he grips his skull. "He's getting up."

She grabs onto Peter and tugs. She couldn't move him if she tried. He scoops up the drinks and follows her to the door. They sprint out and down the block. The whole time she giggles.

They finally stop as she gasps. She faces him. He has lemonade on his hands. She takes the purple one.

"Mm, lavender," she preens.

"I'm sorry about that, but he called you that and I just--"

"That's so sweet. No one ever stands up for me," she sways and slurs on her cup. "Or buys me lemonade."

"Yeah, well, I never done that for anyone either," he tastes his lemonade, too.

"You're so brave."

"Me?"

"Yes! That guy was huge! Like the abdominal-- abominable snowman," she corrects herself. She hums as she catches her breath. "Oh look!"

She points to a robin hopping in the grass. It's nothing special. You see it all the time, but her enthusiasm is awe-inspiring. "Mmm, mm," she taps him, "the camera!"

"Oh, yeah," he looks around, "hey, let's sit."

She follows him to the bench. They sit with their lemonades between them. He pulls her camera bag out of his large one. He opens the leather flap. The vintage style suggests it came with the camera.

"So, uh, it works. I had a spare lens and it's good to go." He explains. "And I fixed the strap."

She takes it and he catches the bag strap before it can knock over the cups. She rests it over her lap and slides out the camera. She leaves the bag on her thighs and he leans over to explain the buttons and shutter.

"Say cheese," she aims it at him. He gives a surprised grimace and she snaps his picture. She laughs. "That'll be a good one."

"Hey, no fair, you surprised me."

"Those are the best ones. The candid frames. You know, I love parks," she points the camera again and taps the button. "You see people just being people. With their dogs, or strollers, or just running with their headphones. They forget about the world, don't they?"

"I... I guess," he agrees with a shrug.

"Oh, this is so cool! Thank you, Mr. Parker," she hooks the strap around her neck and lets the camera hang. She looks at him, lashes batting behind thick lenses. Her eyes fall to his hand. He winces as she reaches for him. She clings to his hand as she digs inside her knapsack. "I got some antiseptic," she sprays his split knuckles and they sting. "When I ride my bike, it gets bumpy."

"Huh, thanks," he says as examines his hand further. Her expression turns serious.

"I'm sorry. Next time, I'll tell the meanie to go away on my own," she lets go of him gently. "I don't like people gettin' hurt because of me."

He cradles his hand in his other, "well, you know, it was worth it."

She laughs, "hm, maybe..." she turns and stares across the park. "But I'm not really, am I?"

He frowns, "who says?"

She swings her legs. She shrugs and makes herself smile. "I say." She gets up and grabs her lemonade, "I'm going to go get pictures of the trees."

[tossawary]

The longer I sit on and look back at it, the more I unfortunately dislike "Star Trek: Discovery", especially the episode featuring the Kelpian homeworld. It's been bugging me. Sure, I'm maybe too soft on older ST shows comparatively, which are Trying, but also usually Should Have Known Better even back then; but ST:D happened at a point where the writers DEFINITELY Should Have Known Better, so I'm petty. Like, you have decades of people criticizing "Star Trek" for various reasons, so act like it.

So, spoilers for the Kelpian homeworld episode, because I am going to explain and then complain about it as best that I can remember it. Warning for discussion of character death, suicide, genocide, and non-consensual medical procedures. Long post.

One of the characters on the "Discovery" ship is a Kelpian named Saru, a refugee who escaped an oppressive homeworld and was permitted to join Starfleet. This homeworld is somewhat unique in that it has two sapient species: a prey species, the Kelpians, and a technologically advanced predator species that subjugates them in the name of a "necessary" balance. (I do not recall the name of the second species.)

At some later point in their life, all Kelpians experience something that I'll call Death Puberty. (It has a canonical name, I just don't remember it and this gets the point across to anyone without context.) Saru is not Human, but he is at a stage in his life that is equivalent to Human adulthood. When we first meet him, Saru has yet to undergo Death Puberty, which he believes will cause him to lose his mind and become a danger to everyone around him.

In his society, Death Puberty is when all Kelpians are required to present themselves to the ruling predator species so that they can be killed. It's the Great Balance.

Before we go to the Kelpian homeworld, there's an episode in which the ship encounters a sapient star. The star being emits some sort of signal that causes Saru to enter a premature / induced / unnatural Death Puberty. Saru is so completely convinced that he will go insane after this process that he tries to kill himself for everyone's safety. He persuades another character to kill him; and it's only the process abruptly being completed, apparently without ill effects, at the last possible minute that prevents Saru and his friend from going through with this.

Saru almost immediately concludes that his homeworld's narrative surrounded Death Puberty and the Great Balance is a lie. On one hand, this assumption makes sense, Saru is the one who actually had to experience this lie and surviving Death Puberty sane may have felt like everything clicking into place. Death Puberty also had the side effect of making Saru stronger, more assertive, and less afraid. I don't think it's unreasonable for Saru to feel angry and suspicious, nor was it necessarily unreasonable for him to emotionally jump to conclusions here.

On the other hand, I thought this was a little annoying (this is a really petty nitpick, I know), because Saru is supposedly a scientist. His Death Puberty, which neither he nor Starfleet have had the opportunity to study before, was unnaturally induced prematurely through an encounter with a sapient star, so his experience is presumably unique among his species. "What if my society is built on a horrible lie?" is a good question. I just wish that another character had brought up the uniqueness of the situation to Saru as a consideration, given that the future of a species may be on the line going forward.

So, in a later episode, the ship goes to the Kelpian homeworld to investigate.

Saru does quickly confirm that his society is built on a horrible lie. It turns out that the Kelpians were actually the predator species all along? Death Puberty does not cause insanity and is actually the process by which Kelpians enter their final, deadly form. The other species, which is actually a prey species of the Kelpian predator species, somehow became technologically advanced and created this "Kelpians are the prey species and must adhere to the Great Balance" oppressive setup. Final form Kelpians scare the shit out of them.

(The supposed logistics of evolution here are more than a little silly, but whatever. It's ST. Let's go with it.)

Plot happens and Saru and other characters end up in danger. The other species is more than willing to kill Saru to bury the truth and preserve their deadly lie.

I can't remember the exact order of events here, but somehow, the crew of the "Discovery" decide that the only way to save Saru's life and to forcibly push the truth through is to induce Death Puberty for the entire planet of Kelpians. Which they can somehow feasibly do using the signal they recorded from the star.

Supposedly, this planetwide forced Death Puberty for the Kelpians will scare the other species into backing down or some shit. After all, the other species can't just suddenly cull the entire planet, right?

This is one of those cases where I want to sit ST writers down and ask them: "Hi, what do you think that the in-universe Prime Directive actually means and why it might exist?" I don't know about you, but I think that the Federation probably has rules and regulations against subjecting an entire planet to a medical procedure that they did not consent to? I think that if you violate the bodily autonomy of a single person in that way, Starfleet should haul that captain up in front of a panel and say, "What the fuck??? What the fuck is wrong with you???"

Their solution is to VIOLATE THE BODILY AUTONOMY OF AN ENTIRE PLANET using an UNTESTED MEDICAL PROCEDURE that NOT A SINGLE MEMBER OF THAT SPECIES CONSENTS TO. (Not that a single Kelpian can consent to this on behalf of the entire fucking planet, but you get my point, right?) Ethical fucking nightmare.

This is also one of those situations where I have to put my head into my hands, because FUCK, the science fiction genre is never beating those "you guys sure love a White Savior (derogatory)" (and ST is never beating the "the Federation is just USAmerica in space (derogatory)") allegations at this rate. The "more advanced" and "more enlightened" Federation swooping in and getting to make decisions on behalf of these "less advanced" and "brainwashed" new worlds is essentially what "Deep Space Nine" was criticizing back in the 90s.

This random fucking crew is deciding what happens to these people's BODIES!!! I don't even think there's a doctor on the bridge when this is decided! Not that it would be okay if a doctor signed off on it! You CAN'T just subject people to a medical procedure they can't consent to! And with how often ST tries to say something about eugenics and sapient rights, this action SHOULD BE in-universe explicitly about a hundred different kinds of illegal.

Even if the entire planet of Kelpians sign off on that shit afterwards, it still wouldn't be okay. Everyone involved in making this decision and making it happen should be, at minimum, kicked out of Starfleet, on principle. Someone should be put on trial for this. You don't get to decide what to do with other people's bodies for them.

So, that's a problem. I don't think ST can meaningfully claim to be about seeking a better future if it's going to have a Starfleet ship violate the bodily autonomy of an entire planet without any consequences. But this action just flies casually by as though it's not one of the most hideous things that I've seen anyone do in a ST show.

But, you know, setting aside the violation of the bodily autonomy of an entire planet thing... Let's pretend for a second that this truly is the only option and that the captain of the ship is willing to accept the severe consequences for it... (And there's no opportunity for any other crewmembers to say, "Wait, this is wrong. You can't change people's bodies like this. I can't condone this. And, in fact, am morally obligated to stop you from doing this illegal thing.")

This is still an untested procedure. They don't even know if it will work when they do it. They're forcing a medical procedure on an entire planet and they don't even know whether or not it will work.

They're supposedly using a signal emitted by the sapient star, a remarkably unique being in many ways. There's no guarantee that this one ship will be able to perfectly replicate EVERYTHING that a sapient dying star did to induce Death Puberty in Saru, on a planetwide scale. Death Puberty has not been studied by Starfleet in more than a single individual, who had many unique experiences that his fellow Kelpians cannot have had, so it is not by any means well understood. If they fuck this up in any way, they could kill the entire planet.

Death Puberty is a natural process for Kelpians, occurring later in their lives. There is ZERO discussion of any potential health problems from inducing this change early in Kelpians. This could cause life-long, life-ruining health problems for even adult-equivalent Kelpians, and there is absolutely no mention of infants, of children, of juveniles. For all anyone on this ship knows, trying to induce Death Puberty in every single Kelpian on the planet could cause the agonizing death of every Kelpian child not ready for that process. They don't KNOW. They currently CAN'T know, because they haven't TESTED that.

But, okay, let's pretend that every single Kelpian survives induced Death Puberty with no health problems. The signal miraculously didn't affect child Kelpians at all. It was totally fine.

Remaining Problem: every single Kelpian has been raised to believe that Death Puberty will cause them to go insane and become dangerous.

Saru's initial reaction to going through Death Puberty was to kill himself. He persuaded his own friend to cut his throat before it could finish. His situation was one of unnatural inducement, but he didn't even have them lock him up in a cell to be sure of its ending first; he was CERTAIN.

Upon returning home, before everything goes to shit, Saru learns that his father naturally underwent Death Puberty while he was gone. As is tradition, before the process was complete, Saru's father surrendered himself to the other species and was killed. Kelpians are raised to believe their early deaths are necessary.

I don't think it's unreasonable to assume that the majority of the Kelpian population would panic during planetwide Death Puberty. I don't think it's unreasonable to assume that a significant fraction of the Kelpian population, none of whom know what the fuck is happening, might try to commit suicide or murder-suicide. Even when the process completes quickly and they still feel sane, they might think, "Well, it probably takes a few minutes for murderous insanity to kick in. I had better kill myself while I still have a clear head, as per our planet's accepted spiritual tradition and for the safety of my loved ones."

Parent Kelpians trying to protect their children? Lovers trying to die in each other's arms? Some Kelpians reasoning to themselves: "Well, I'm still sane. But it's my civic duty to off anyone who seems like they're going insane." And the entire planet has just gone through what they understand to be The End Of The World, so everyone is probably panicking and probably seems more than a little insane right now.

Do I think the majority of the planet would turn murderous or suicidal? No. We don't really know enough about the planet to choose hard numbers. But the Kelpians have nevertheless all been raised to believe they need to be culled for the greater good, there was nothing like informed consent happening, and with Saru as our main and only example here, we can be pretty sure that the number of other Kelpians who panicked and died because of that panic is not zero. Personally, I think that the number would be sadly significant.

So, I think that Starfleet is directly responsible for some murders and suicides here. Even if there were no medical issues, which is a big fucking if that I do not believe, you are still up against generations of an oppressive death cult here. If you spring the apocalypse on these poor people, it will be bad. They did not consent to this. They're, according to the worldbuilding here, all going to think that they're dying!!!

And you know what? In this episode, the main characters force Death Puberty on an entire planet, in order to scare the other species into letting the Kelpians be free or something, and it doesn't work. The other species immediately activates the emergency "Explode The Planet" system they had installed, in order to kill all of the final form Kelpians. Inducing Death Puberty just made the other species panic.

So, the captain of the "Discovery" essentially has to threaten the fear-motivated other species into submission, or something. I don't remember how this episode ends exactly. I think that the captain more or less says that destroying the planet with make them the enemies of the Federation and that the Federation is a very scary enemy, scarier than the Kelpians, so it's better to stop this and be the Federation's ally instead. Or something like that.

The other species backs off on destroying the planet and the Kelpians are free, maybe. They all went through Death Puberty and learned they were living a horrible lie, so they have a lot to work out. No mention of health side effects or panicked suicides, but I don't believe that these consequences didn't happen out of an entire planet of potential bad reactions.

And no one on the "Discovery" suffers any serious consequences for forcing an untested medical procedure on an entire planet conditioned to view it as being worse than dying. I know that the other species wasn't really open to friendly dialogue and there was a time crunch of sorts, but I still think "blustering the enemy into backing down by threatening them" should have been attempted maybe a few more times, before the "violate the bodily autonomy of an entire planet with an untested medical procedure that will make them think they're going insane" option. I think maybe that's not okay to do to a single Kelpian, much less an entire planet of Kelpians, even if Saru's life was on the line, actually.

"The ends justify the means" is another thing that past "Star Trek" has repeatedly criticized. It's especially insulting to have the characters do this shit without any of them bringing up any of the potential risks in their stupid, condescending plan. I want to like these characters, but shallow writing like this makes me hate them. It makes all of Starfleet look like hypocrites. They're supposed to be scientists??? No one here has taken an ethics class, apparently.

They really just... forced an entire planet through Death Puberty, potentially killing or hurting any Kelpians who weren't ready for that, probably killing a significant number of Kelpians who didn't know what was happening and panicked, even though they didn't know whether or not it would work and could have killed everyone, and nearly got all the Kelpians killed anyway. This clusterfuck should be both against countless Starfleet regulations and EXTREMELY illegal under Federation law. But we can file this under a "whoopsie daisy!" because the professionals involved panicked and meant well?

Fuck off. Awful episode. They definitely killed a significant number of innocent people here, even if they didn't show those deaths because the writers apparently didn't think about the obvious medical and social risks, and what these characters did to the Kelpians wouldn't be okay even if everyone miraculously lived. Don't mess with other people's bodies???

[hiraethwrote]

Firstly, enjoy your shows, gorgeous!

I can't wait to see your thoughts about seeing more of Tobio and then Levi.

But you also made me curious, what do you think like which characters from jjk and hq would fit perfectly into a downton abbey type of au?

including : suguru geto, satoru gojo, kento nanami, yuki tsukumo, shoko ieiri, toji fushiguro contents : f!reader, historical au, no curse au, forbidden romance, affairs, insinuation of drinking/partying, age gap, scandals, not proofread word count : 1.3k

author's note : omgomgomg this is so cute, and got a little carried away meaning i formatted this as a little drabble, and i have to dedicate a post of its own to a hq version of a downton au <3 love you bby

suguru geto — starting of with who i believe would fit best as the main man in this downton au.

because mr. geto is the heir to the estate, though not first in line.

taking very direct inspiration from the show itself, i see him as the equivalent to mr. matthew crawley, a distant cousin who hasn't had anything to do with his relatives at downton until he was informed he was to be the next person to take over the estate.

a reserved gentleman who comes from a more modest way of life. without any title or significant rank, mr. geto has somewhat of a hard time adjusting to the new and luxurious life that downton has to offer. not to mention, he often finds himself butting heads with the family in general.

eventually he manages to have the whole family warm up to him. everyone except of you, the oldest daughter of the lord of downton.

from the moment you first meet, neither of you are able to hold your tongue when it comes to small comments — both of you sink to petty lows in each other’s company. the enemies to lovers and slow burn burns bright.

with time, he wins over the respect of the family by abiding to tradition but also paving way for modern changes. turns out this is also what eventually ends up charming you into his good graces.

satoru gojo — cannot answer this question without including my favourite golden boy, who is definitely a controversial individual in the downton au.

satoru gojo, the loud and notorious distant cousin that resides in london, creating “havoc” wherever he goes (or that’s at least how the earl himself describes his behaviour).

unlike his family, mr. gojo rejects tradition, and dives head first into a new and less conservative future. his relatives back at downton believes he simply acts out to spite the prideful individuals who carry titles, but he genuinely believes in the modern world. with society heading in a new direction, he looks forward to the time where it will knock the higher ups in his family down a few pegs.

the worst part? his stunningly good looks works nearly as a get-out-of-jail free card, much to his family’s frustration. they’re furious he gets to frolic around the capital and tarnish the reputation of their name.

in a desperate attempt to calm his wild side, his family tries to lock him down with a respectable lady from a rich family that will instantly clear up his image. of course he rejects any proposals.

his family thinks he denies any beauty they present to him simply to be difficult, but the truth is much innocent.

there is only one girl who as captured his attention — you, the sweet barmaid who serves drinks at the shady bar in the bad side of town. already the very first time he visits the location you manage to catch his eye, and he is utterly smitten by you.

kento nanami — it’s to no surprise he is an outstanding gentleman, first and foremost. but i imagine mr. nanami to be the most respected member of the staff with his position as butler of downton.

he is surprisingly young for his role, always performs perfectly on his duties as well as leading the rest of the staff.

it should definitely be mentioned that by proving his loyalty and dedication, he has grown to be a part of the inner circle of the lord of downton — the earl of grantham would go as far as to consider mr. nanami a friend, never hesitating to seek the support of his butler.

there is only one factor that has him begin to bend against his responsibilities — you, the lady’s maid to the daughter’s of downton.

mr. nanami knew he signed up for a life by himself when he took on the position, but he can’t deny the unspoken tension that develops between you. longing stares shared across the ballroom during dinners, the softness conveyed when speaking each others name, all factors that makes it oh-so-hard to put his job first like promised.

yuki tsukumo — the sneakiest housemaid of the downton estate.

she performs exactly what is expected of her, nothing more, nothing less. she doesn’t see why she should do anything beyond what she is paid for.

by behaving this way, she manages to blend in with the crowd. not even everyone in the family would be able to tell you her name. miss tsukumo doesn’t mind at all though, as it gives her the opportunity to obtain all sorts of gossip that travels throughout the house, whether it stems from the titled folks, or her peers downstairs. if something even the slightest bit of scandalous might start to stir up, bet your last dime that a particular housemaid is the first to get her hands on the information.

she consideres all the information she gathers as hightly valuable, and will definitely won't give it up to anybody. at least not for free.

except for you of course, the young and gorgeous assistant cook, hid away in the kitchen all day.

the second she has her claws in the latest gossip, she quickly scurries down to the kitchen to fetch you for a few minutes to give you a hurried rundown, setting the expectations for the deep dive into the topic once dusk rolls around.

shoko ieiri — surprise, surprise, she’d be a part of the medical staff in town.

but, due to the fact that she is a women, she is merely a nurse despite being ten times more educated and knowledgeable than the men she works with. there is not much else she can do than express her opinions on the matter and hope her male colleagues would trust her and do as she requested.

either way, she often sneaks around the hospital at night to provide additional care to the patients she is able to help with the little resources she has.

by being loud and outspoken, desperately trying to argue with the men in power, she manages to catch your eye, the wife of the most respected doctor at the hospital. you’re drawn in by her opinionated outbursts and secret set of skills, which eventually have you approach her.

neither can deny the spark that occurs in each other's company, unable to explain what exactly it is you're both feeling. but it is just the start of a scandalous affair.

toji fushiguro — without a doubt, the most unapproachable member of staff.

for years and years, mr. fushiguro has been the handyman of downton, and people outside of the family cannot fathom how he has managed to keep his job. he’s rude, vulgar and downright unmannered. but he is the best handyman downton has had the good fortune of housing. sure, he is a little rough around the edges, but there isn’t a problem on the property he won’t be able to fix.

his rough and dirty exterior has people stay clear of his path, the conversation always quieting down if he enters the room. not that he minds, as he prefers to stick to himself anyways.

however, there is a certain someone who has sparked an interest in the rugged man always covered in dirt and grime from head to toe — you, the youngest daughter of the earl.

you hear the stories, all the rumours about how he participates in activities not suitable for anyone with self respect. but unlike the people around you, your drawn in instead of pushed away.

and mr. fushiguro tries as hard as he can to stay away from you. not only is he quite a few years older than you, but he is also of a much lower rank. and you’re the daughter of his employer, the earl's little princess. he doesn’t want to corrupt you, but senses you're trouble as you time and time again sneak off to keep the man company as he does his job.

©hiraethwrote 2025 . all rights reserved. reposting, translating and otherwise plagarisim is prohibited

[returnofthelightt]

Uttara Ashadha Archetype: The Clairvoyant

Hello everyone! I am back for more, and I would like to show the latest of my research from a movie I recently watched: The Sixth Sense. I think I might make a mini short on this but I might/might not be adding two or more movies on! Again, this is my essay and interpretation. It is not law.

The lovely Barbarapijan had discussed how Uttara Ashadha might be linked to Clairvoyant. Before we begin, let us get into the term. As per wiki:

Introduction

Recently, I watched the movie ’The Sixth Sense,’ and wanted to show you how another archetype of Uttara Ashadha as the Clairvoyant. If you look at the definition, the clairvoyant Uttara Ahadha fits the second definition.

Uttara Ashada is the universal law that translates to latter victory, and its shakti translates to a victory that cannot be stopped. However, that victory does not always relate physically (such as in war and fighting). The victory can be spiritual liberation (their motivation is Moksha). Surya (the sun) rules UA, and helps these individuals by helping them develop their higher consciousness. Yes, Surya is noted for being involved in creation, but creation requires the development of intelligence and the ability to think beyond the average individual. 

Uttara Ashadha is also ruled by the Vishwadevas. Vishwa (all) Devas (God’s) meaning All the God’s. Rita is the cosmic order, and the Vishwadevas help us uphold it through guidance. Here, the aim is for universal consciousness. 

Komilla Sutton discussed how Purva Ashadha and Uttara Ashadha work together to unfold new talents (pg. 195). In Uttara Ashadha, sometimes personal sacrifice is needed to develop your spirituality. 

Sixth Sense

At the beginning of the movie, we are introduced to Dr. William Crowe, who is a child psychologist (Played by Bruce Willis, who is Uttara Ashadha Sun, Uttara Phalguni Asc). He and his wife are in their home when one of his old patients, Vincent shoots him. Fast forward, we see the introduction meeting of Dr. Crowe and his new client, Cole (Uttara Ashada Moon)

As the story goes along, we start to get introduced to the characters' issues. Malcolm has a problem with his wife and he feels distant from her. Cole is isolated at school. He is unable to confess to his mom his issues with seeing ghosts. 

UA and Exposing Truths

Surya grants us the ability to shed light on things that are hidden. When Cole is in school his teacher discusses the history of Philadelphia and the school, only for Cole to reveal the actual occurs of what has occurred. 

When Cole goes through a traumatic event at a birthday party and ends up in the hospital. Malcolm sees Cole at the hospital and is comfortable with confessing to Malcolm his secret (which is that he can see dead people). An interesting line is that Cole says “they don’t see each other, they only see what they want to see. They don’t know they’re dead.” That made me contemplate Vic Dicara’s video on Uttara Ashadha.  He talks about how the sutra discusses perception. We are regular human beings perceived on a plural (separatist) level. Based on our perception we conclude an inkling towards it whether that be like or dislike. Based on how we perceive it, we want to either get rid of it or try to control it (hence, why fights and war happen because humans are prone to pursuing the same things). 

This makes me think Malcolm is not operating on a state of consciousness level (which I will get into later). In a sense, Cole is already at that higher level, but with this nakshatra, you can’t conquer through fear. Unless Cole can overcome the ability of this, he will not be able to solve his issue of the dead approaching him. 

Realization

In the upcoming scenes of the movie, we finally get to understand what Malcolm wants, he wants to talk to his wife and chooses to stop helping Cole. He doesn't end up believing Cole. When Malcolm comes home, he realizes why his previous client, Vincent was suffering (Vincent stated in the tapes: "I don’t want to die"). 

Malcolm meets Cole and tells him that the ghosts come to him because they are afraid of death, and the only way to make them go is to listen to them. This makes me think that while Uttara Ashadha does look for their victories, they are also in the position to help others and guide them towards their liberations (in a way, this makes perfect sense why the next nakshatra is Shravana, which symbol is the ear). But sometimes fear can get away in our quest because we hesitate to lose the courage to move forward (The Vishwadevas have 10 universal traits to encompass victory - with Kratu [Will Power] being one). 

Cole can do just that as he talks to one of the dead who comes to see him. He goes to her funeral and exposes to her dad that her mom has been posioning her, making her even more say/maintain sickness.

We see Cole finally be able to celebrate his victory in his school play and by confessing his secret to his mom. This clip made me emotional as it shows you don’t win through just fighting, it is all of the Vishwadeva's traits together that lead one to victory. You can’t win without goodness, truth, willpower, time, skill, desire, forbearance and so forth. Cole represents the middle force between those who have passed and those who continue to live (hence why he has the Sixth Sense).

 

Malcom has his own victory. Before, Malcolm (surprise) did not know he had passed. If you actually think about it, Malcolm did not perceive/realize he was dead, even saying that he couldn’t keep track of time. You could say that Malcolm had a fear of going to heaven (if you believe in that) or out of the human realm, without completing his goal: which was to talk with his wife and redemption for Vincent THROUGH helping Cole (remember, his fear was not only connecting with his wife, but he didn’t want to risk losing another patient again). 

Through the help of Cole, Malcolm actually realizes that he is dead when he does not have his ring on. Once Malcolm finished his task of helping Cole, and telling his wife that she was never a second priority in his life. 

Conclusion

Uttara Ashadha’s goal is conquering through the Vishwadevas to achieve singular consciousness. The more aware you are, the more likely you can conquer and have your victory. But sometimes our victories require us to use goodness, compassion and courage to conquer and help all.

Let me know what you think! I'll try to post here more often <3

[freejanee]

Scorbus Fanfic recommendations?? Honestly I just want to yap

pt. 1? 🤔

Hide and Seek by ArdenCallaway,

Its not canon compliant and the rumor surrounding Scorpius has changed but its awesome!! It goes through their Hogwarts years, along with some of the other characters, then some of their adult years. It includes ocs that i’ve grown attached to. The Chimera club my beloved… It really makes you feel a lot of things, be prepared for a rollercoaster of emotions if you read! And if you’re a marauders fan theres some nice hints to some of that fandoms popular fanfics i’ve heard. After this fanfic I had a tough time reading other fanfics because it just didn’t feel right… Also it’s incredibly long, it’ll last you a few if you really take your time with it, let it absorb into ur very skin AUGHHH. I think about this fanfic at least thrice a day, it really did leave a mark on me. Well every fanfic here left a mark on me, but this one definitely is more persistent. I think its because I just woke up everyday and read and read this fanfic whenever I could,, felt so empty after I finished it. Like dhmu…

A World of Darkness by KeybladeJediMaster & Yer_Erster,

This one just HURT ME 💔 Poor Albus, he really gets it in this one. Okay think dark alternative timeline BUT Albus doesn’t stop existing. Scorpius is really trying his best in this but i kept thinking he was an idiot(BUT NOT REALLY BC I LOVE SCORPIUS, never ever… im no traitor…)but really, if I was in his place I would freak out and try to immediately run away with my bestie, ending in us both being killed… yea…

So i think the way he went about it was more logical and better than I ever would be in that situation. I have NO IDEA how he was as chill as he was, if Umbridge was carrying away my best friend/lover I WOULD CRASH OUT.

This fic is technically finished? I think there might be more coming out but the latest chapter could read as the end.

It’s a Potter/Malfoy Thing by Asexual_Enjolras (They also have nice oneshots),

This one was what really cemented my hyperfixation with Scorbus, its so heart warming, WHY CANT LOVE BE REAL?! But also because it was some time ago I can’t really remember much of the details, im going based off some of my journal entrees in where I talk of it. This series honestly made my whole summer of last year (yes yes im very new here). Seeing Scorpius be accepted apart of the Potter family was so adorable, so was the second part with Draco. The scorbus in this made me SOO jealous, their bond is so special 😭💗

Building up like waves by dustyspines,

IM NOT GOING TO LIE, my memory has been getting worse and worse I think I’m going to have to reread all of these. But what I remember of this one was how I felt, its shorter than the other ones but really packs a punch. The yearning is just OVERLOAD and Albus is just the realest in this. The writing is incredible and I swear I was feeling what he was feeling. Its like poetry the whole time and is incredibly clever, it has BANGER lines 😭 Honestly whatever I say cant give it justice (with all of the other ones too), its just a masterpiece. Once I started reading I couldn’t stop, it really does lure you in entirely.

5) How To Avoid Bullies; A Series by QueenKatelynTheAristocrat,

Now I barely remember what happened in this because its been SO long, but it is in my favorite Scorbus fic list in my journal, as all these are… But its basically Scorpius and Albus making up a list of rules on how to avoid their bullies. Im going to reread this after I write this because GAWD ive been meaning to. Like I need some co dependent scorbus avoiding their bullies right now instead of being in MATH CLASS. Its not finished and is on the shorter side but I still recommend this 💗

Something worth taking the Time

(Not scorbus, but its focused on them and is incredibly good!), anonymous author

This one isn’t finished yet but so far its been soo promising!! This fanfic is like all i’ve been searching for and more, i’m so thankful I found it when I desperately needed more content of my bouys 😭 I regularly re read recent chapters because it gets me stimming and all happy, scorpius and albus being trapped in a past time period (Golden era or marauders era) is like my favorite genre (SHOULD BE A GENRE I HAVE A PETITION). I hope to eventually make art for it, as well as some other fanfics but i’m just a TOP TIER procrastinator. ITS GONNA HAPPEN THOUGH. It will… mark my words..

I also think about this fanfic like thrice a day. I read it while walking to school everyday too, really gives me the energy to get through the day. Seeing how Albus interacts with his father never fails to make me laugh, or ANYONE really, I swear its like he has a stick up his butt 24/7 I LOVE HIM. But the reason why he’s that way makes me cry, GAWD. Like he’s been acting like he’s in a war before he even came to this past time period and he never lets his guard down because of all the bullying he’s been through, but he’s slowly learning to trust people beyond Scorpius. It just breaks my heart its some people that died in the second wizarding war, LIKE THATS NOT RIGHT. I wonder constantly how he’s going to be in present time without them (yes im being vague, but its a simple process of elimination LMAO). I can continue but I think I might give it its own post at some point ;p

and i see black (while you see white) by inkwellhell

i really don’t remember, Im going to have to re read but I STILL RECOMMEND. Its on my faves list so im sure that it made me feel indescribable things, TRUST MY JUDGEMENT ON THIS even if its been a long time and can’t really say anything besides it being a short recount of hpcc from dark timeline onwards by Scorpius pov ^_^

The Tea Time series by ellizablue,

Not completely finished. I haven’t read the one that hasn’t been finished because I didn’t want to be heartbroken but I know i’ll eventually get to it, I’ve only heard good things of it! I loved Put Your Curse in Reverse, I just finished it, so this will probably be a little more detailed than the others. Honestly Iset was my favorite side character, she deserves SO much more. Everything in this fic just feels so… real?? Like god, everyone was so awesome and had amazing characterization. I wasn’t just looking forward to scorbus in this, everyone had their own stuff going on and it does a really good job at making you care. At some point I just kept waiting for Iset to appear, I WAS #1 FAN. I needed to know what was up with her. Her and Rose are so adorable too. Kills me that shes an oc, SHE NEEDS TO BE CANON NOW!! Sorry this became more of an Iset thing than a Scorbus thing, don’t worry their still very much the focus of this series!

Hope anyone who hasn’t read these who will read them because of this likes them c:

Plus im really desperate for people to discuss these fanfics, I WILL NEVER MISS THE OPPORTUNITY TO YAP ABT MY FAVE FICS. Which is why this exists. Because I saw an opportunity. And I took it. (๑❛ᴗ❛๑) looks at you with my beady innocent eyes.

(this makes more sense because originally this was a reblog but I just decided to make it a post instead, but I don’t want to delete this part so wtv…)

OK SCHOOL OVER, TIME TO GO READ MORE FANFIC BYEEE

[boomgun]

Post-CF Claude/Edelgard is hilarious if we take into account that Edelgard is not exactly the best at emotional intelligence and Claude is paranoid.

They would meet at some kind of diplomatic function, start making small talk. They both are trying to re-connect, for the good of their nations of course (and personal reasons), but their expectations are not going to be met.

Claude would very likely ask "Hey, why did you spare me? Bit out of character for the ruthless conqueror. ;)"

Now, Claude is likely trying to corner Edelgard into admitting she has feelings for him, because he knows how cagey she can be. Which, she does! In fact, Edelgard loves this opportunity to show how much she thinks about him. The problem is that this is Edelgard and she would think that Claude would enjoy being gassed up for how smart and strategic he is.

So it would go like "Because you subtly but effectively communicated that you were a prince of Almyra and left a strong implication of the consequences for killing you. I have no doubt that excursion into Goneril territory by Nader was a taste of what could have happened. You put me in a situation where, even with my axe at your throat, I could not risk harming you. A brilliant manuever as always, Claude. <3"

Edelgard probably expects Claude to be chuffed at this statement and, moreover, it shows that she has been paying attention and is Smart and Observant (because these are surely the traits Claude admires in people). The problem is that being seen as a capable and dangerous threat is what almost everyone has percieved Claude as since he was a kid. Claude, in fact, would like more sentimental reasons or at least like his intelligence to be complimented in a less 'oh you're so cunning and dangerous' way and more in a 'aw, you're so thoughtful of others' way. It just reads to Claude that Edelgard views him more as a political acquaintance than as someone who likes him for himself.

So, Claude is just "Huh, thanks for the compliment. :)))" because he does not want to show vulnerability and is trying to quietly disengage.

The problem is that Edelgard knows she said something wrong because she remembers that smile from the Academy and it never meant Claude was actually happy. What did she say? Maybe she was being too subtle. Aha! Let's take Claude somewhere private and tell him, like, his dick is big or something. That'll work!

"Can I have a moment alone with you?"

Now what the fuck could Edelgard mean by that!? Does she actually like Claude? Maybe! No, that's wishful thinking. Claude reasons that Edelgard must be up to something clandestine and wants to plot with him. You know? That could be fun! Hubert enjoys scheming with her, maybe Claude could too.

"Lead the way." He says, trying to sound smooth and in control.

Oh, fuck yeah, he's interested with a capital 'I.' Edelgard must have just been seeing things, reading too much into the situation. Claude would never follow someone into a private place unless he trusted them, or at least had a good escape route. Probably both. He's so clever, let's try complimenting that again!

"I trust you have a backup plan in case something goes awry while we're all alone? ;)"

OH, GOD. CLAUDE, WHAT DID YOU DO??? EDELGARD WANTS TO KILL YOU, SHE NEVER ACTS THIS CUTE AND VULNERABLE. READ BETWEEN THE LINES, SHE IS TRYING TO TRAP YOU. FUCK! FUCK!!! CLAUDE HAS TO FIND A WAY OUT OF THIS, THIS IS SUCH AN OBVIOUS PLOY. DO NOT LET HER KNOW YOU ARE ON TO HER EITHER. PLAY IT COOL, CLAUDE, PLAY IT COOL.

"Ah, wait, I promised a dance with a couple courtiers and I need to go talk to Nader. I gotta put my career first, you know how it is." Claude breathes a little too forcefully, trying to keep himself calm.

How did Edelgard fumble again!? She smiled and winked and complimented his intelligence! Scientifically, Claude should be over the moon. Wait, that's it! Claude is clearly playing hard to get. That makes sense, given the political tensions between Almyra and Fódlan. If Claude is found pursuing a woman from Fódlan, it would invite unflattering comparisons with his father. So, Edelgard just needs to make it clear that SHE is the one coming for him! It's so obvious.

Edelgard pulls Claude close "Please, Claude, I yearn to feel your arrows fall upon me." Edelgard gives a knowing look, because the innuendo is just that brazen and obvious for all to hear.

SHE'S FUCKING BLOODTHIRSTY. Deirdriu! Edelgard is talking about the siege of Deirdriu. Holy shit, it all makes sense! Edelgard talking about Claude outwitting her, wanting him alone; she is here to finish the job! She's making such an obvious vieled threat, and she's giving that Bold Edelgard Look too! Oh, she might try something right here in front everyone! Claude, GET THE FUCK OUT OF THERE!

Claude does not say anything, not clearly. He mutters something about a cat about to fall off the windowsill and how someone should save it (there is no cat, the window is closed) and he just leaps out of it with a crash that startles everyone at the meeting. Claude made a calculated risk. People can survive falls off the second story of a building, especially if one strategically bounces off the railing of the lower balcony. It really hurt, though. Claude spends the rest of the week nursing a dislocated shoulder in a safehouse that no one else knows about.

Edelgard is aghast. Then depressed. There is only one logical conclusion, Claude was so viscerally repulsed by her advances that he attempted suicide! Edelgard spends the whole night locked in her room, stuffing her face with a comfort food while crying. How could she have fumbled this so badly?

It is a wretched and terrible comedy of errors.

[ultimateplaylistmaker]

lockpickingliar talking about kokichi in gbd has sparked my love of talking about Kokichi's interesting dynamics outside of his class in the dr s and talent development plan and now I gotta talk about some of them

alright since talent development plan is shorter lets talk about the dynamics in UTDP, at least with his own pov, not including other character special events i dont have room

First of all is Kokichi actually does somewhat play into Tsumugi's world building around his dynamic with Junko, in a way that's clearly him being a shit to her while also somehow roasting Mukuro at the same time, but still! The "darling Junko" and calling her his "bestie" is so interesting to me because that's absolutely Kokichi for "you are interesting but also i need to fuck with you or i'll explode" with poor Gonta stuck in the middle with not a single damn clue what these guys are talking about. SOMETHING is going on here between the two that's for sure.

-

He actually gets along with Monomi/Usami, while this is more prominent in DRS, they get an event in talent development as well! While extremely short, the use of the word "attention" is very telling to me, he's not annoying her, or bothering her, he's giving her attention. Which has an inherent positive tilt to it, he's not comforting her, but he's not being mean to her.

-

This whole interaction gets extra screenshots because we all know "kokichi made izuru run away" thing by now, but no one talks about the start of the conversation of Kokichi identifying Izuru to some degree. Of course this being Kokichi it's impossible tell how much he knows, but I find what he says telling, the somewhat awed reaction to seeing him, the mention of him being dead, and while he dismisses it under rumors and then also dismisses the rumors, which admittedly isn't a far fetched excuse.

I just find it really interesting that he specifically points at Izuru and goes "aren't you supposed to be dead?" While it's possible he knows nothing of the truth of the project, he in other events does show himself to be more privy to the secrets of the school then other people, so its not out of the realm of possibility he knows more about Kamukura's history then he's letting on. Especially with how targeted his questions to Izuru are about identity. Which fascinates me. What do you know you little clown.

-

His dynamic with Toko is about exactly what you'd expect, no notes, he just calls her stinky then lies about where Byakuya was while Toko gets upset, not even worth any screenshots

-

God bless this interaction honestly its gotta be one of the funniest, completely underrated dynamic, while nothing too much actually happens in form of character like, revelations, Kokichi threatening Fuyuhiko so he can have his cool dark anime battle plot line is goddamn hysterical.

-

While Hagakure isn't exactly a difficult mark, the way Kokichi got Hagakure from "stop lying" to "PLEASE GOD EMPEROR KOKICHI HELP ME" near immediately to Twogami's IMMENSE disappointment in both of them is very fucking funny, and again shows Kokichi's ability to both gather information and tug people along. It also glimpses into Kokichi and Twogami's dynamic, which seems to leave Kokichi a bit wary due to Twogami being y'know, a liar and Twogami just kinda staring at the camera like he's in the office. 10/10

-

Souda and Kokichi is also a very funny dynamic, while Souda's high strung nature does make it easier for him to go "no the fuck are you talking about???" the fact he genuinely had to be like "wait i checked to make sure it wouldn't do that" about fire destroying shit is very telling to the kind of stuff these two would get up too. Kokichi is absolutely the type to scare someone as a thanks for giving him a fun scare as well, and Souda is the exact kind of high-strung Kokichi can't resist poking. God speed Souda good luck with that

-

Jokes aside about them both being mean bullies, Hiyoko and Kokichi actually seem to get along pretty well at times. Kokichi can appreciate her darker interests and even compliment them, and Hiyoko definitely seems to appreciate the acknowledgement for the more horror metal rock aligned part of her personality. While they definitely have a potential to be very catty, if they're on the same page they seem to actually kinda click! Terrifying duo, but one with a lot of potential, especially knowing Kokichi's eye for hidden depths, something Hiyoko has in spades. Bonding!

-

On the other hand, Komaeda and Kokichi are both mentally blowing each other up while exchanging pleasantries. Kokichi does NOT like Komaeda digging into him and DICE and Komaeda is absolutely very suspicious of kokichi and his talent, but neither of the can overly overtly go after the other so they're stuck making these jabs, they hate each other and it's great.

-

Kokichi and Celeste are also definitely playing games here and don't like each other, but they're classier about it with at least seems to be a bit of mutual respect going on here, even if they both do not like the other. With of course the big fucking bombshell of him knowing Taeko's real name and hitting on the core of her identity of her disdain for reality over her fantasies.

-

Im out of pictures but Gundham does proceed to be incredibly aggressive and agitated around Kokichi, their identities run too counter and too similar, he does not trust Kokichi an inch and believes them incompatible to the very core. Which makes sense with Gundham's immense trust issues around people and those who may betray him, Kokichi is very much the exact kind of person to make Gundham jump and hiss like an angry frightened cat. Kokichi seems to be interested in Gundham though, and trying to coax his way past the rejection, though this might just be because he wants to pet Gundham's animals which like, fair. Either way, this is probably the most EXPLOSIVE dynamic of the entire development plan.

-

I am still out of pictures but I also enjoy his dynamic with Kyoko, while Kyoko is able to out maneuver Kokichi's lie, Kokichi also calls her out on a lie she makes to do so. While he can't prove Kyoko wrong, he also makes it clear he knows that Kyoko isn't saying what's right either, she's just making a point that Kokichi has to be lying through her own lie that runs contradicting. Which is the exact kind of chess death note mind games "i knew you did so i did this" "i knew you knew i would so i did this" I would expect from these two, Kokichi also finds her not boring so he definitely agrees.

[atopvisenyashill]

@allyriadayne Yes exactly, I think grrm does this interesting thing where he takes these dynamics and brings them to this extreme, but also very natural very logical end as a way of examining their destruction. Bran and Hodor is so interesting because Bran does love Hodor very much, and Bran is himself disabled. And certainly Ned and Catelyn aren’t out here modeling bad behavior re: servants, I mean, we see physical violence at all levels when Arya is in Harrenhal, and it’s so casual and ever present, and it’s not like we’re getting stories about like, Rodrik beating the stable boys, or someone raping the maids - but we DO get several scenes of Septa Mordane being a very bad guardian and pitting the girls all against each other, we get glimpses into the stresses of Theon’s status as a noble hostage, we get glimpses into the dysfunctional way the family has absorbed the entire Jon Snow thing. Ned is not a cruel lord, in fact he’s arguably one of the best we get in the series. But he’s still a lord! And Bran is a sweet boy but he’s still nobility himself. He’s being told by everyone around him that he is above them all! Not just bc he is the Prince but because he is a Greenseer.

And you look at the “Hodor can be my legs” and it’s still about Hodor being of service. It’s about Bran’s dreams and Bran’s feelings. Hodor is the horse, Hodor is the beast of burden, Hodor does the serving. And then you look at “i’ll give it back like I always do” and it’s the same thing. Hodor is being forced to give more and more of his body for service. That’s who he is. That’s his class, his role in life, whether he likes it or not. He’s Bran’s legs, and now he’s Bran’s body, and he’s not allowed to complain bc that’s what he’s here for - that’s why he goes with them even! To be Bran’s legs! And yes it’s very necessary, someone needs it to be their job to get Bran around. But it blurs the line of Hodor’s personhood, and really forces you to examine the inherent extractive relationship between a lord and a servant, but unlike those other ~natural and evil endpoints~ like Ramsay or Joffrey or Gregor, this is between a character who is otherwise very kind and sweet and does rely on Hodor - but Hodor isn’t even in the conversation. It’s all about Bran.

thinking a lot about bran and knighthood, which led me to some very depressing bran, hodor, and dehumanization…stuff. like how often bran is projecting his own desires onto hodor. my whole chain of thought was sparked by this line from Sandor-

"A knight's a sword with a horse. The rest, the vows and the sacred oils and the lady's favors, they're silk ribbons tied round the sword.”

i think there’s something to be said for the link between Bran literally becoming a tree, being expected to put all Self and Body aside for some Nebulous Cause when he hasn’t even reached a decade of life, and the way he in turn projects his suppressed desires onto hodor as he rationalizes stealing Hodor’s body.

Broken, Bran thought bitterly as he clutched his knife. Is that what he was now? Bran the Broken? "I don't want to be broken," he whispered fiercely to Maester Luwin, who'd been seated to his right. "I want to be a knight."

“Rodrik should teach me to use a poleaxe. If I had a poleaxe with a big long haft, Hodor could be my legs. We could be a knight together." "I think that ... unlikely," Maester Luwin said. "Bran, when a man fights, his arms and legs and thoughts must be as one."

"If the gods hadn't taken your wits, you would have been a great knight." "Hodor?" Hodor blinked at him with guileless brown eyes, eyes innocent of understanding.

“It made me so mad I almost gave him a swat in the head, like Old Nan is always doing." He saw the way the maester was frowning and hurriedly added, "I didn't, though." "Good. Hodor is a man, not a mule to be beaten."

The big stableboy no longer fought him as he had the first time, back in the lake tower during the storm. Like a dog who has had all the fight whipped out of him, Hodor would curl up and hide whenever Bran reached out for him. His hiding place was somewhere deep within him, a pit where not even Bran could touch him. No one wants to hurt you, Hodor, he said silently, to the child-man whose flesh he'd taken. I just want to be strong again for a while. I'll give it back, the way I always do.

“we could be a knight together” is a projection but it’s one at least that still sees Hodor as an active participant. but it shifts to “i just want to be strong again.”

[sukugo]

Do you think gojo makes those freaky ass feral expressions while getting dicked down?

YES YES YESSSSSSSSSSS RAAAAAAAAAHHHH THIS IS SOMETHIGN IM PASSIONATE ABOUT OKAY!!!!!!! YES HE DOES

like, pleasure looks such a specific way on satoru. we can see it in the tojigo fight, the hanami/jogo fight and the sukugo fight. they're the only moments where we truly get to see raw pleasure on him and it's that. eyes popping out and manic grin and laughter bubbling in his torso and body charged, and mannerisms especially crude.

there's something so animalistic about it, his "human" mask slipping from him and showing him in all his monstrous glory, unfiltered and raw and like the freak of nature he truly is

and it's exactly the same thing when it comes to sex. it's all pleasure after all.

[heliomanteia]

I'm honestly so glad they introduced a new protagonist. Not just because Rook is a darling, but also because Inquisitor would have been a horrible choice for the story they wrote.

[riacte]

so hey guys i finished dungeon meshi yesterday and i'm still thinking about it

[aces-to-apples]

Frankly I think Alistair being mildly shitty to that mage in Ostagar seems pretty in-character for the guy he is before the massive, life-altering trauma that is the Ostagar massacre wherein he sees all of his Grey Warden comrades, his beloved mentor/father figure, and his beloathed half-brother/convenient-target-of-projection absolutely torn to shreds by literal Thedas boogeymen. IIRC Morrigan and Flemeth both comment on his wack behavior after Ostagar and then by the time we get to Lothering Alistair just fully surrenders any and all responsibility (and, frankly, agency) to the player's Warden for the foreseeable future. It can then take anywhere from a couple IRL hours to the entire second act of the game for him to retake almost any amount of it back. And depending on the player's choices in dialogue, and especially whether or not they choose to romance him, we may only see flashes of that guy we met at Ostagar before he potentially morphs into almost someone else entirely (hardened!King!Alistair). All that to say, I don't actually think it's a useful criticism of "characterization" to bring up Alistair's glibness as compared to his behavior in the majority of the game because from where I'm standing (looking directly at his snottiness about Cailan, his complaints about being assigned to the Tower of Ishal, his Templar-esque focusing on Morrigan and Flemeth being apostates, his generally pretty brusque manner with the Warden recruits) it seems fairly in-line with the rest of his behavior at Ostagar.